Commonly found variants; note these may range from acceptable alternatives to
non-standard forms or incorrect spellings*.
* Singlish is a largely spoken creole, and as such descriptivism (recording forms that reflect actual pronunciation in spoken language, or as appearing in the linguistic corpus) is more pertinent than strict prescriptivism. Nevertheless, the use of more standard forms (or for words originating in languages with Latin script, such as Malay, accurate to the original spelling) is recommended and encouraged.
* Singlish is a largely spoken creole, and as such descriptivism (recording forms that reflect actual pronunciation in spoken language, or as appearing in the linguistic corpus) is more pertinent than strict prescriptivism. Nevertheless, the use of more standard forms (or for words originating in languages with Latin script, such as Malay, accurate to the original spelling) is recommended and encouraged.
also can:
pao sua pao hai bao sua bao hai pau sua, pau hai pao sua, pao hai bao sua, bao hai
pau sua pau hai
→
Min nan:
包山包海
poj:
pau-soaⁿ pau-hái
Detailed etymology
definitions
noun
- a person whose job it is to take care of anything and everything
Lim Hwee Ghee, Marketing Executive, was recruited into the committee — "One more job for you, Hwee Gwee!" There we have the three-member publication committee, pau sua, pau hai.
— 1998, Melanie Chew. Of Hearts & Minds: The Story of Sembawang Shipyard. Sembawang Shipyard. ISBN: 9789810406707. p.369